The Forest
by VampireVampyre
Summary: Set 4 years after What the Hell! AU. Ezio/Abby. Abstergo use a Piece of Eden to capture 13 Assassins from throughout the corrupted version of history and imprison them in The Forest. Their plan? To hunt them down just for the pleasure of killing their enemy and insuring that the Assassins are damned forever. They only have one hope of escaping. Will they find it in time?
1. A Change of Scenery

The Forest Chapter 1

**{A/N Hello once again and welcome to The Forest! I updated really quickly because this was already written and I wanted to get it out as soon as possible.**

**If you are new to this story then by all means read on, it will only slightly confuse you!**

**I will be doing a review section as usual on this story and I would like to thank all of you who reviewed the epilogue of What the Hell! You guys made my day :D**

**There are quite a few characters in this so I will give a character list:  
Altair Ibn L'Ahad  
Malik Al-Sayf  
Kadar Al-Sayf  
Giovanni Auditore (when he was in his mid-twenties)  
Mario Auditore (Same applies though he is slightly older than Giovanni in this)  
Ezio Auditore (Four years older than in What the Hell)  
La Volpe (Like in AC:Brotherhood)  
Bartolommeo D'Alviano (As above)  
Caterina Sforza (As above)  
Desmond Miles (As above)  
Rebecca Crane (As above)  
Shaun Hastings (As above)  
Abby Freilich-Jones (Four years after What the Hell)**

**Most chapters will either focus on Ezio or Abby however I will post chapters keeping you update with the others too.**

**I know a lot of you readers joining this from What the Hell will have questions about the gap in between WTH and this and I will try to answer as many of them as I can during the story. **

**The idea for this came from the Hunger Games (which is a really good book) so some things may be a little familiar.**

**Please review and I hope you enjoy reading!}**

There was a knock at the door and Daniel Cross looked up from his computer. In walked a red headed woman who he knew to be the head of their latest mission. Project Hunter. It was the biggest project they had ever done and now they had done it. They had a Piece of Eden and Abstergo was now more powerful than ever. They now controlled almost half of the world through business and industry as well as politics and governments. Of course they had more focussed efforts on the richer countries of the world as well as those with supplies of the world's resources but now their influence was beginning to spread to the poorer countries too as wealth and development was shared and traded. Project Hunter was hoped to be a way to celebrate the success and eliminate their most... resilient enemies who had stalked them through the passage of time never really going away no matter how powerful Templars became. The Assassins. Killing two birds with one stone was the figure of speech given to the project. The woman standing before him now was the head of that project which Abstergo's best minds had been working on.

"Hello Helena, I'm guessing you have news about the project?" he said looking at the woman. The woman cleared her throat and spoke to him in a perfect English accent.

"Yes I do, yesterday we managed to get the Piece of Eden to co-operate and our Subject 22 successfully made it to 1191 AD without any problems whatsoever."

"That's quite a lot of progress, what about the Forest, is that ready yet?" He was excited about this, it would be go down in the history books as the time the Assassins were destroyed forever.

"Yes sir, the final parts have been fitted and everything is live. All that's left is the Prey."

"And the Hunters? When are you going to get them?"

"They are being collected as we speak sir. We plan to have the Prey in the Forest within the next hour."

"Good, lets see how they cope with this." he said smiling like an evil genius.

**...**

As soon as he got to his room, Ezio went over to the bed and collapsed on it fully clothed. He was completely exhausted from all of the free-running and sword fighting his brother and father had made him do. He still had no idea why it was necessary considering he was now a banker. _Why would a banker need to fight or run over rooftops?_ Still he was glad at least that it kept him in shape for the pretty ladies of _Firenze_. Though he still had yet to find a woman he wanted to marry. There was one but she was around 600 years away from him.

A couple of hours later there was suddenly a rather loud thump as something heavy stomped on the floor. He stirred at the commotion but was not completely awake. When he eventually opened his eyes he was greeted by a man's face inches from his own. He almost jumped at the sight and closeness of such a thing but did not. He only had a few seconds to register the face before he felt something sharp prick his wrist and his eyes closed again.

In the time he was unconscious he was having a disturbing dream. He was standing in a dark room dressed in his normal clothes but right before his eyes a young woman was lying in a pool of blood. She was alive but only just. It took him only a moment to recognise her and when he did he rushed to her and cradled her in his arms. He brushed her blonde hair away from her wet eyes.

"You came." She said in her beautiful and pure accent. She put her hand on his cheek he took it and kissed it.

"I did." He said his voice cracking. She was so pale and weak, he knew it wouldn't be long before she was gone completely. She smiled at him and that made him worse. "Don't...don't go."

"I have to, I'll find you again." She said her voice nothing more than a whisper.

"I love you." The words slipped out of Ezio's mouth naturally since he'd said them to her a million times before.

"I love you too Ezio." She said giving his hand a weak squeeze before the life drained from her eyes and she was gone. He held her, tears slipping down his face for a few moments before the dream faded and he regained consciousness in a place he didn't recognise.

**...**

Abby was in her office as usual completing her update report on their progress with the reconnaissance mission in London. Her Assassins were trying to gain information a new P.O.E and a big conference was coming up in the financial district about it –top secret of course. They had already set up bugs in the conference room that was to be used and she was preparing some of the assassins to go there disguised and transmit information back to HQ via a secure line. They had also accepted novices from all over Western Europe to increase their numbers and unite the countries under her guidance. However it was almost one o'clock in the morning and her eyes were stinging because of the bright screen before her. _It's impossible to write like this, maybe I will have to do this tomorrow... no I HAVE to get this done. It's important that the others know how we are getting on and what information we have gathered and this has to be done tonight otherwise they will not get the information in time._ Because of possible Abstergo spies watching communications like hawks, she would have to send a series of messages with only a few of the phrases from her actual report in them. And even then the code had to change each time. It was good though that the man on tactical support was good at decrypting hidden codes. She was midway through the report when she felt her eyelids really drop. _I can't do this, I can barely keep my eyes open let alone think about encrypting a message._ She tried to carry on though but then something pricked her neck and she couldn't keep awake anymore.

**...**

A cool, damp breeze greeted Abby as she slowly regained consciousness. She was about to sigh in delight at it then her mind snapped awake, she had been in her office before so there couldn't have been a breeze. She opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of masses of bare trees as far as she could see, as she stood up the mist around her swirled as her movements disturbed it. This was not a place that anyone associated with forest walks and fresh air. This was the type you saw in all the horror films, the scary type. The forest itself didn't scare her, she'd been watching horror films with interest for years (well the ones before she became an Assassin) and if anything the scenery reminded her of all of those films. No the thing that slightly scared her was how she got there; someone managed to infiltrate their base and that was extremely bad news.

She looked down at herself and noted that she was still in her normal clothes (slightly heeled black ankle boots, black skinny jeans, grey vest top and her hoodie, black to signify her Master Assassin rank with a gold edge on the hood to signify her higher rank) though when she went to test her hidden blade she realised that it was gone along with the rest of her weapons.

"Well where ever this is, someone certainly didn't give me much to survive on." She commented as she looked around, she hoped there would be some sort of plan and animal life somewhere around, not to mention water, otherwise she was going to die without having any of her questions answered.

"That is because we have no intention of letting you live." A sneering voice said as a young man stepped out from the shadows and mist around her.

**{Edited and cut down to try and stop myself ripping off the Hunger Games!}**


	2. A New Friend

The Forest Chapter 2

**{A/N Hello and welcome to Chapter 2!**

**...Reviews:D...**

**ROC95: Thank you, make sure you've reread it though!**

**Darklou: Thank you, I think (and hope) it will be interesting!**

**Bloop-Bloop: Thank you for your review, I was thinking the same thing after I published it! I've rewritten it and I hope I've made it more original.**

**Red9assassin: Yeah he does but I hope to make a story with him in at some point soon.**

**MS07: Thank you, I'm glad you like it and I hope you will like it as much as WTH.**

**Sgt ownage: Thank you **

**Nyvyan: Thank you so much mio amico! And to answer your question, no I'm not sorry!**

**Kayce Skywalker: Thank you x I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**...**

**Thank you for all of your reviews!**

**Please review and tell me what you think and I hope you enjoy. X}**

Abby turned towards the man and saw a group of armoured men fan out and surround her at a close distance, closing the distance between them and her with their weapons. She tensed and looked all around her, looking at each of the men in turn. The man who had spoken was dressed in clothes that didn't match current fashion or even the time period altogether and so she became quite confused. The smirk on his face teamed with his cocky attitude, however, made her want to lash out and wipe it from his face but she decided to wait. _Just 'til he gets a little closer... ugh I hate being in situations like this!_

A man approached her from behind and forced her hands behind her back. This made her react. She kicked out at the man and made contact in a very private place. When he was doubled over she spun and used her now free arms to land a punch to his jaw. He fell to the floor grunting with pain before her hands were being forced behind her again. She felt another hand grab her hair and pull her head back sharply so that it leaned on the man restraining her.

"Let go or you'll end up like that man on the floor!" she said with as much acid as she could. The man, however, tightened his grip on her hands and her hair all while chuckling at her words.

"You have fire and a sharp tongue. Many would say it marred your beauty but lucky for you I like it." The weirdly dressed man breathed in her ear. His breath made her want to gag though his body odour was worse. "I am glad I chose to kill you," he said before interrupting himself to kiss her neck. She wanted to be sick at the contact of his wet lips on her skin. She tensed and he laughed. "I can now make up for the _bella donna_ that _cazzo _Ezio took from me. It's a pity he cannot see this but then again he might try to save you and I wouldn't want that."

_He knows Ezio?_

"Ezio is not a dick, he's more of a man than you'll ever be!" she said still with as much acid as she could muster and as a result her hair was pulled even more (so much so that she nearly hissed in pain) for a moment and the guards moved forward, each with a perverted look on their face. Abby clenched her restrained fists in anger.

"Come now _amore_," the man said, now letting her hair go and instead stroking it gently, letting the blonde locks flow through his chubby fingers. Abby wanted to vomit at his proximity and his stench which was unbearable. "Your last moments on Earth will be more enjoyable if you shut your mouth and relax."

That was it - that was the thing that made her snap. She did what she asked for just long enough for him to relax too and then she kicked backwards, landing her foot in his stomach and spun out of his grip, snatching his dagger from his belt before he could reach for it. In the seconds that passed after that she took down two of the guards before they had even tried to attack her.

"Kill her where she stands!" the stinking man screamed though he took a step away from the fight that had now ensued.

"_Fahr zur Hölle!_ **(Go to hell!)**" she said in her native language and he looked back at her with anger and malice even though he couldn't understand her exact words.

"No-one insults a Pazzi!" he snarled back but still didn't join in. Abby raised an eyebrow at the name, she recognised it from the history books. _Wait, not another time traveller!_

Abby was used to fighting but wasn't really used to fighting men with pikes and maces. She did quickly adjust though she did get a shallow cut from a well aimed jab of a pike. _Damn those things are nasty! Even worse than those batons Abstergo security wield._

"You're a Pazzi? Don't tell me, Vieri." Abby said and she caught a glimpse, in between her fighting, of his shocked face.

"How do you know me?" he asked and Abby just smiled sweetly.

"Ezio wrote fondly of you in his memoirs." She said with a bit of sarcasm that she hoped he got. He did.

When she had managed to get access to the tapes of Desmond Mile's Animus sessions, she had smiled when this man had been beaten and then assassinated by Ezio. She hadn't liked him even when she hadn't seen him in person. She had also taken it upon herself to read Ezio's short memoirs, they were one of the things that had kept her busy and sane while she had been training. Her first Master in England had seen to it that she had read them after she had told him about her romance with the 15th century womaniser/Assassin.

"Well I can't say the same for you, then again Ezio was always with so many whores many found it difficult to keep a count on who was called who." Vieri snapped back just as Abby sent the last of his personal guard slamming into a nearby tree. It was just her and him.

"Yet you're still a virgin. Oh wait no I think it's your hobby to force yourself on innocent girls in your spare time, my bad!" She said saying the worst thing that popped into her head while gripping her dagger and trying to stop her temper but it wasn't working and soon he would be dead. She doubted she would let him have the time he would need to give her the information she wanted as to her whereabouts and the purpose of her being there. There was a little voice telling her to calm the hell down in the back of her mind but she ignored it and carried on hating this man as much as she could. To her he was the lowest of the low.

While she was speaking Vieri had begun to turn a deep shade of red and then purple, he exploded into life the second the last words left her lips.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT YOU LITTLE _PUTTANA_!" he screamed and her smirk at that finally sent him barrelling towards her, his hands clutching the sword of one of his dead guards. Abby danced out of the way with seconds to spare. The man was forced to barrage past her and tripped over a small tree root, falling to the floor with a thump. She held back a laugh as he got up and spun back around to face her.

Next he had fallen back on the floor this time landing on his face and a throwing knife embedded in the back of his neck. A white robed figure looked at her momentarily before running off and leaving her alone with the carnage.

"Hey!" she said but he had already gone.

Her mind played twenty questions for a few moments as she tried to figure out who they were but in the end she gave up. She had something more important to do.

She turned back to the dead Vieri and turned him over, closing his eyes and muttering a quick 'rest in peace'. _He's dead, that's the main thing._ Then something on his belt caught her eye, it was modern and definitely looked out of place considering his origin and his clothes. It was a device that projected a holographic map and could also act as a sat-nav if you knew how to work it. It was an Abstergo invention the Assassins had managed to get their hands on and use for their own benefit.

"Well there's a clue, maybe I won't be as in the dark anymore." She said as she activated the thing and the Abstergo logo and Templar cross loaded on the projected hologram side by side. She tapped her foot waiting for the thing to load and then it loaded up the first screen asking for the user to be created. Abby smiled, Vieri had never used the thing and so had not registered his DNA into it. Another Abstergo addition to security of its gadgets, each device is registered to the user by DNA and retinal recognition to ensure no-one who shouldn't have access to it couldn't. Abby didn't wince as it took a DNA and blood sample and easily gave it a scan of her eye, she was used to the technology now.

After about a minute she had the tracker disabled and was loading up a map of the area. It didn't take any time at all so Abby knew that there were masts projecting the information nearby.

"Now let's see where I am." She said to herself as it finally loaded the detailed and 3D map. The only thing it showed was the mass of woodland she was on the south-east edge of. When she tried looking further out than that the map would give her plain grey and white squared land which meant it didn't have the information for that. Abby frowned momentarily then turned her attention back to the forest. It looked a little abnormal since the area was perfectly circular and seemed surrounded by a boundary of some sort. There were also various streams and hills but the thing that was the most strange was the sight of a large grey building in the direct centre of the trees. A stronghold. Abby twisted and rotated the image but no other images or clues appeared. She gave up trying and just shoved it in her pocket for later use.

She looked back at the carnage and took it in properly for the first time. Taking every punch of guilt and regret whole heartedly as she looked at all the dead and bloodied men that she had taken the lives of. A small huff blew out of her nose as she thought about how she even regretted killing Vieri. Every single person she killed she regretted whether they deserved it or not. Whenever, though, she felt like refusing to ever kill again she reminded herself that the murderer who killed almost all of the people she loved was still out there, hiding amongst the Templar order. That vendetta against the Templars would burn on until he had been dealt with.

"Sorry." She whispered to the bodies as she went over to one wearing a sturdy and definitely modern rucksack. Abby eased it off of the man's shoulders, checking the contents. Nothing majorly exciting, just basic supplies but it would be enough to keep her going for a while if she controlled what she used. There was even a first aid kit if she needed it. She also took some throwing knives and another dagger which she put in the matching but empty sheathes.

She hauled the bag onto her bag and secured the straps around her waist and chest, adjusting them when needed. Those straps linked to the padded ones around her hips and they would ensure more of the weight of the bag was placed on her hips which were built to carry extra weight anyway. Once that was all secure and ready to go she took one last glance back, put her hood up and walked away into the trees.

**...**

About half an hour or so later Abby slowed down as she heard shouting and commotion up ahead.

"We 'ave one." A heavily London accented voice said, echoing out around the trees.

"Fuck!" the curse came from an American and sounded much closer and quieter than the previous voice.

Abby leant against a tree and peered around the other side where the noises and voices were coming from. From her hiding place she could see a hooded man ducking behind a tree in front of her. He was wearing white and she could, his hood up and his sleeves rolled up. Abby knew he was an Assassin, and one in danger too.

Some guards she had seen would have been confused as to where he had gone, considering how far behind they were but these seemed smarter than the average guard and their red uniformed bodies ran immediately towards the man's hiding place, bayonettes in hand.

Abby reached to her sheath, she had made sure that the pack didn't cover her sheathes, and picked out enough throwing knifes to kill them all. She waited for them to get the perfect distance away, _wait for it, wait for it_, and threw them with the extreme precision that had been engrained into her mind by her constant training. They fell without almost any sound.

Noticing the lack of attacking guards the man peered around the tree and saw the dead bodies. He slowly walked away from the tree and went closer to inspect them. Abby watched him for a few moments before stepping away from her hiding spot.

"I thought you could do with some help." She said and the man turned quickly to face her. She saw him automatically flex his right arm before his mind caught up and told him there was no weapon there. She let him look at her similar uniform and identify her as a friend.

"Thanks," he said in his American accent and nodding to her as she walked over. "I don't like the look of those guns even if they are seriously old."

"This is older." Abby said holding up one of her stolen daggers. "It's Renaissance."

"You have weapons? I woke up here disarmed." The man asked curiously. Abby was a little suspicious that he had woken up in the same way that she had done. Except without Vieri di Pazzi leering at her.

"Nope I stole them. Waking up with Vieri di Pazzi close by is a surprising bonus." She said casually mentioning her first strange encounter.

"Really?" he said shocked at that, Abby hadn't been sure if he'd know who that was but she was pleasantly surprised that he did.

"Yeah it wasn't fun at all." She said with a laugh before pulling down her hood. "Really easy target though."

"Tell me about it." The man said pulling down his hood. Images from years back flashed in her mind as his appearance registered in her brain. If the man had long hair and an Italian accent she wouldn't be able to tell the difference between him and Ezio. Her heart fell after her heart was a little too optimistic and thought he was the charming Italian. The man seemed to recognise her too and they spent a few seconds just staring at each other.

"Abby right?" he said after a few moments and she nodded.

"Let me guess, the famous Desmond Miles right?" she said after figuring out who he must be. She had taken the time to read about him after she had heard that he, a fellow Master Assassin's son, had died.

"I'm famous?" He asked her with a smile that was similar to Ezio's famed grin. They shook hands briefly.

"In my time you are, I'm from four years into the future." She said with a smile of her own. There was no look of shock considering the guards were definitely from the past, no-one would even think of using muskets in the 21st century – they were impractical and useless when aiming.

"Well it looks like this place has one pretty fucked up timeline." He commented and Abby agreed wholeheartedly.

"Yep looks like it but it's been years since I have been in a non-fucked up timeline." Abby said mostly to herself. She gave a look around then went over to the guards and looted their resources and the rucksack another held. It was the same as hers.

"Come on," she said to Desmond while handing him the spare pack. "Let's go before more of them, or someone more modern, come along."

"Right okay, jesus this bag is heavy!" Desmond complained as he secured the rucksack over his existing one.

"Spending a lot of time in the Animus weakened your muscles?" Abby asked and he gave her a sort of smile though it was mainly a look of surprise.

"What? I read about you."

"Right... nope not stalkerish at all." Desmond said earning a laugh from Abby, he was more friendly than she had anticipated.

"Come on let's go." Abby said walking away, Desmond paused for a moment; he was thinking about how ironic it was to be meeting and getting on with his ancestor's _amore_. When she stopped and looked at him to see if he was coming with her he smiled and walked over to her. From her garb he could tell she was a trained Assassin which meant she could protect him and help him survive. Sure he had his Bleeding Effect skills handed down from Ezio but he felt safer with an Assassin who had actually been through the training process.

**{How do you like this chapter? Review and tell me :D}**


	3. A Little Help

The Forest Chapter 3

**{Hello and welcome to chapter 3!**

**I just saw the trailer for AC4 and it looks amazing, I think Ezio has competition as a womanizer and hot Assassin! I literally saw one minute of Edward and I'm already drooling a little! XD **

**...Reviews:D...**

**ROC95: Thank you, I will take your luck and cherish it so I can do well in all of the chapters in this story! :D**

**Kitkat101895: Thank you and wow that was a lot of exclamation marks in that review! XD**

**xAnimePrincess101x: Thank you and yep video games are the new reality XD.**

**Guest: Thank you, I'm glad you loved it :D**

**Sarafinja: Aw thank you for your kind words, I'm actually not that funny in person so I'm surprised I am with my stories.**

**...**

**Here's chapter 3 which will focus more on Ezio, if you're wondering about the other Assassins you'll get check ups on them every 5 chapters just to see how they are all getting on.**

**Review and enjoy x ****}**

Ezio blinked and slowly sat up, still trying to get of the drugged sleepiness he was feeling. Something was wrong and he realised that when he saw the branches above him and the mist around him. _Am I drunk? I do not remember drinking though...I just remember falling asleep and then this._

A momentary image of the dead woman from his dream rattled him. Of course he had thought about Abby but thinking of her like that felt wrong and sickening. He didn't know why his mind had conjured up that image but he didn't like it, it hurt him a lot. He shook his head to clear the image and a little dizziness from his head and got up. He didn't like his surroundings, they seemed a little too eerie for him to be comfortable in.

"_Che diavolo? __**(What the devil/hell?) **_Where am I?" he said turning slowly and looking further into the mist and trees. He couldn't see his feet or anything under halfway up his knee high leather boots. He was not used to such mist and was both fascinated and disturbed by it. The silence however he was definitely not fascinated by, it was a little too quiet for woodland. There should be the sound of animals or birds but there wasn't a sound.

Suddenly there was a sound, one a branch makes when a heavy weight is applied to it. Ezio spun in the direction of the noise and saw a masked man looking down at him through his smiling mask. To Ezio the man looked as if he belonged in a _carnivale_ rather than a gloomy forest. Ezio stepped back in any case, it was strange to see an entertainer watching him from a before bare branch. The hairs on his body rose as the man's covered eyes bore into him, watching his every move though not moving an inch. Were it not for the fact that he had not been there before, Ezio would've have asked himself if the brightly dressed man was a statue dressed in a jester's attire. He kept moving backwards away from the man, who had still not moved, and did not look away from him until he could no longer see him due to the mist. That didn't mean he didn't keep walking hurriedly away from the site as he tried to calm himself. His mind was reeling and asking questions about the man and his purpose that he knew he couldn't answer.

After a few more minutes of walking he heard a burst of noise that sounded like nothing he had ever heard. It crackled and some deep droning sound, Ezio just about recognised it as a distorted human voice, burst out into the forest around him. The sound made him physically jump, it was close but not close enough to be seen through the mist. It gave Ezio the opportunity to run behind a tree and press himself to it, hiding himself partially from the sound and the people he assumed must accompany it.

"_Idiota!_" A woman said harshly as the sound was hastily cut off. Ezio froze in his hiding place, the people were close and were coming ever closer. "Do you not know the meaning of stealth?"

Ezio found it a little ironic how she had scolded them for being loud yet she was shouting at them. It almost caused him to chuckle but he withheld since he could now see they had weapons from his little vantage point. He quickly looked away considering the clothes the woman was wearing, he doubted she could have found anything that hugged her figure any tighter than those she was already wearing. From the quick glance he had had of her, she was wearing all black. Tight trousers, a very low cut vest and corset which emphasised her assets quite a lot. Her hair was also pulled back into a high ponytail and her eyes were covered in make up.

"Lucrezia I-" a man said as the group stopped just metres away from Ezio's hiding place.

"How dare you address me by my name! Have you no manners? When I was first taken to this foreign time I believed that you would be more intelligent than my soldiers back in _Roma_ but no. Instead I find that you have less intelligence than them, you have less intelligence than any man I have ever had the misfortune of meeting!"

"Sorry ma'am." The man said, now notably quieter than before. Ezio really hoped they would just go since he would not like to be on the receiving end of that sharp tongue. "I will be careful next time."

"_That mouth of yours is so sharp it could be used as a weapon on its own._"

The sound of his own voice made him close his eyes and shake his head. He knew that and he knew who he had been speaking it too. Abby had always had an answer for everything and her tongue was as sharp as barbed wire if she wanted it to be. Even after four years he still saw her in his head as clearly as if he had just been with her. Her laugh echoed around his head for a second and he swore he felt her lips on his. _How can this feel so real? I have thought about her before and never felt anything like this. Why is now so different?_

"You had better or I will complain to your superior. You are also lucky my brother is not here, I could easily persuade him to kill you and he would do it without a second thought." The woman, Lucrezia, said with acid as she laid down the unhidden threat. There was silence from the rest. "Get moving, no doubt you have scared all of the Assassins from this area and so we have no animals to kill."

At this Ezio was shaken out of his thoughts and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was, however, confused about the woman's words. _Assassins?_

Ezio waited for the sounds of their footsteps to fade and even waited a few minutes more before coming out of his hiding place. That had been close and he didn't want it to be any closer than that. Whoever they were they were on a war path to eliminate these Assassins and somehow he had gotten mixed up in that war. He didn't know how and he though he wanted to know he thought it was more important that he found a way out before he got hurt or possibly worse considering the way the woman had talked about them. There was no mercy in her acid voice and that made him feel slightly sorry for the Assassins though he was sure that if they were able to stir up so much anger, they could find a way to stay alive through it too.

A small ghostly chuckle and the sound of movement in the braches above his head caused him to jump and desperately look around though he couldn't see anything. His mind was brought back to the figure from before and his mind matched the laugh to the creepy masked man from that previous encounter. He immediately shivered and his eyes continued to dart around the trees and branches all around him. It had put him on edge and, even though he hated to admit it, it got him slightly scared. How could a man dressed in such bright clothes disappear without making a sound.

The laugh sounded again and this time it was on the ground. It echoed around him and made him jump and spin around in a circle. All he saw though was fog and dark trees. His heart rate rose and his breath came faster as he looked now a little more desperate for the source of the sound. He wanted to shout out and demand it showed itself but he knew that would only bring more trouble upon himself as the other group could still be close enough to hear his shout through the trees.

Another sound, a twig snapping, was heard now so close yet he could still see nothing. He spun in the direction then the laugh came again. He spun again but grew tired of all of the spinning. He now realised he was being taunted and it was getting on his nerves.

"Leave me alone, I am not involved with the _Assassini _you are after. I do not know how I got here but I just want to find a way out. I am not part of whatever war you are part of."

"Oh but you are _bello _**(handsome)**," a smooth silky voice said as the owner stepped into Ezio's line of sight. "You are in it much deeper than you think you are."

Before, Ezio would have had no qualms with flirting or admiring a woman such as herself but this was not the time and he wasn't exactly in the mood for it either. Still, his eyes did go a little southward from her face for just a second. Her attire was more familiar than that of the other woman before but it was still as low cut and revealing. He recognised it as something remotely similar to what a courtesan would wear.

He heard a thump from behind him. He turned one hundred and eighty degrees and saw the masked harlequin standing close behind him, playing with a sharp looking dagger menacingly. When he turned back the courtesan was waving a fan that had sharp blades on the end of it. Her seductive edge dissipated and was replaced by a sinister one, one that matched the harlequin who was now circling him – still playing with his daggers.

"And it would be much easier for us if you no longer existed."

The words chilled Ezio and his first instinct was to run from them and try to get as far away as possible. He did manage to remember that he had been in plenty of fights before and so he puffed out his chest and tried not to look scared like he was. He was a man and he had to uphold his honour even in a situation like this. That didn't stop him weighing up his options if he did run. A longer period before his death, the possibility of escaping them (however slim it was) or facing his death like a man and not giving them the satisfaction of seeing him scared and desperately running for his life. The first had its perks but the latter was the most convincing.

While he was thinking the harlequin stepped closer and pressed a dagger to the back of his neck and the other to his stomach. In one fluid movement he could cut Ezio's throat and make his guts fall out onto the earth. His breath reflexively caught in his throat and he tensed.

"Have you no honour Templars? When you fight a man give him a weapon so you may kill him properly otherwise do not kill them at all." A familiar but younger voice said from further away in the mist. _Father? No it cannot be! Why is my father so young and has no regrets about killing people when he has always shouted at us for only fighting?_

That made the grins disappear from the faces of the two who had been about to kill one of the most famous Assassins in history. None of the harlequin's daggers moved from their potentially fatal spots but Ezio felt the blades press less against his body than they had before.

"Why do you question us about honour when you sneak up to your targets and kill them and only then revealing yourselves. That is hardly honourable." The courtesan said, turning her now slightly less smooth and silky voice to the man who was now walking towards them both. In the blink of an eye the pressure of the daggers completely went as a throwing knife was embedded in the head of the harlequin who had not been expecting suck a risky move and had moved too slow. Ezio was both relieved and shocked as the masked body fell to the ground, the mask itself cracked and embedded with a throwing knife square in the eye. The shock that he felt since his own father, a banker and a man who tried to discourage Ezio from fighting, just killed a man with ease. He forced himself to look away from the carnage his father had caused and looked instead to the man himself – who was still trading words with the seductive woman. He wore strange white robes that had red vertical stripes along the torso and there was also a crimson sash tied around his waist with a large insignia of some kind made of a silver metal. The robes also included a light brown cape which he saw his father flick out of his way with a small movement of his arm. Ezio looked at his father's face and barely recognised it. He saw that it was much younger than he was used to. In fact he looked to be only a few years older than Ezio himself which came as a real shock to Ezio. It is a fact that many children find it hard to imagine their parents when they were young and Ezio was one of them until now when the younger version of him was standing right in front of him.

The woman was about to start the honour argument again but his father cut her off.

"If you will not use honour then neither will I." He said bluntly with a hint of malice. He stepped forward and she tightened her grip on her weapon. They both stepped even closer then began to circle. After one full rotation Giovanni met his eyes for a brief second before making a slight flicking gesture with his hand to suggest that Ezio should run while he has the chance.

With a parting glance at his weirdly young father he turned and hurried away, running at a moderate speed away. Before he completely left the clearing though he heard the crack of a neck snapping. He took a glance back and saw the woman falling to the ground, her head bent in an unnatural position.

He just swallowed and tried not to think of the new side of his father he had just seen.

**{What do you think, please review and tell me. I do have a rota for my stories so if you recognise a pattern of my story updates XD. Also I haven't put up a templar list of characters because I want to surprise you with that :D}**


	4. A Friend Lost

TheForestChapter 4

**{****A****/****N****: ****Hello****people****, ****welcome****to****Chapter**** 4! :)**

**...****Reviews****:****D****...**

**ROC****95: ****Thank****you**** :)**

**KayceSkywalker****: ****Thank****you****, ****I****'****m****grateful****to****everyone****who****reviews****, ****follows****and****favourites****this****story****for****their****support****! ****X**

**Kitkat****10895: ****Thanks****, ****I****tend****to****use****exclamation****marks****a****lot****too****! ****XD**

**xAnimePrincess****101****x****: ****I****know****I****would****too****!**

**AbbyandKurt****: ****Thank****you****so****much****x**

**...**

**Sorry****for****taking****so****long****on****this****chapter****, ****I****had****a****huge****writer****'****s****block****!**

**I****hope****you****enjoy****this****and****don****'****t****forget****to****review****}**

"Desmond?" Abby said and her pace slowed as she said it. A thought had appeared in her head and she was trying to think through it but she needed help to solve the question puzzling her.

"Yeah?" he answered as he came to a stop, he looked at Abby's thoughtful expression and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at her expression.

"Do you remember seeing Ezio kill Vieri di Pazzi?" she asked - she had seen the Animus footage and seen it for herself. The rage on his face was scary but had brought back memories of him and that gave her some comfort.

"Uh yeah I do why?" he answered unsurely since he had no idea what Abby was thinking about. Her reaction to his words only made him more confused. "What? What's wrong?"

"I just don't understand how that's possible considering I killed him just now. Really Ezio should have killed him but he didn't, I did. You shouldn't remember Ezio killing him."

"But I do."

"But you do." Abby echoed as she tried to think how it was possible. She should have changed history and therefore altered his memories but she hadn't and she hadn't the faintest clue how that was possible.

"Hey don't strain yourself worrying about it, it'll come to you eventually." Desmond said as Abby's expression continued to look worried and frustrated as she continued to try to solve the question that was bugging her.

"Hopefully." She said showing a little bit of her obvious anger with a sigh but her expression soon cleared a little as she took his advice. "Hey how much water do you have left?"

Desmond took out his stolen canteen and shook it, only a light slosh could be heard in the metallic container.

"Not much but at least it's a modern bottle." Desmond said, replacing it in his bag before slinging it back on his back. Abby knew there was a water source in this place so she got out Vieri's map and waited for it to load.

"I saw a river on here earlier but I'm not really sure where it compared to where we are-"

_SNAP_

Abby was cut off by the metallic sound echoing through the misty air and the sound was quickly followed by a male scream of pain combined with a few colourful swear words. The scream was loud enough to make Abby wince.

"Shaun?!" Desmond said, whipping around in the vague direction the sound came from. The concern in his voice made it easy to guess that Desmond knew the owner of the voice. Before Abby could ask though Desmond sprinted away through the trees leaving her staring blankly at his back momentarily before she began to pursue him.

She didn't call out but she had to stop to listen momentarily once or twice when he was lost to her in the mist. Almost straight away though she heard his running, and sometimes tripping, feet close by or she would hear him call to the injured man –which made her wince since that wasn't exactly the best tactic with a possibility of enemies nearby by.

Soon enough Abby caught up with him though now he was standing completely stock still while staring in horror at the scene in the clearing before him.

A man, presumably Shaun, was lying almost motionless with one of his legs torn to bits in a large, rusted and creepy looking fox trap. There was blood everywhere and she could see Desmond swallow as he registered blood soaking the front of the man's grey sweater. Abby couldn't see anyone around but she knew they must be nearby if not watching. It wasn't safe but as soon as Desmond all but sprinted towards the man Abby knew she had to abandon all thoughts of being safe now.

"Shaun!" Desmond said as he knelt beside the man who was still alive and awake.

"Oh great," the man groaned though his voice was quiet and weak. "No angel or white light. Just Desmond. I feel like I've been cheated."

Even from where Abby was standing she could see the corners of Desmond's mouth turn up into a smile.

"Y'know with you like this I would've thought you'd be less of a dick but obviously not." Desmond though his tone was joking. Shaun gave a huff that resembled both a slight laugh and a sigh. Desmond's attention then turned to the foxtrap that still had its jaws around the man's leg.

"I'm gonna try and get this off. This might hurt a bit." Desmond said as he tried to get one hand underneath the heavy metal to grip one jaw while his other gripped the top one.

"Oh no I thought it was going to feel like being tickled with a feather" Shaun said with pained sarcasm as his voice now became a little strained as Desmond moved the trap. Desmond gave a slight chuckle before trying with all his might to pull the foxtrap apart enough for Shaun's leg to be moved. Desmond tried this continuously for many minutes without much success except maybe for it to move a centimetre from it's other jaw.

"Hang in there Shaun." Desmond exclaimed without looking back or waiting for a response.

"Desmond."

"Almost got it."

"Desmond."

"Abby could you come help me? I think I almost got it."

"Desmond he's gone." Abby said as she placed a hand on the man's tense shoulder. Her eyes were sad but sympathetic as she saw Desmond's head hang for a moment. She had been there, done that and bought the t-shirt. She had seen Shaun's life drain from him and had gone over to him while Desmond was fruitlessly struggling to free him. She had taken the liberty of checking the man's eyes were closed and saying the words she said to any lost brother or sister in the Order. It was not just his leg that was hurt, Shaun had been shot in a place that meant he would take the longest to die.

It was cruel but it hurt her more to know that she had done the same to Templar agents so she could get information out of them with the security of knowing they wouldn't make it back to their base alive. She was a hypocrite and she knew it.

Desmond stayed in the same place, his hands still gripping the metal tightly but she knew he wasn't crying. She didn't think it suited him after all he was an Assassin too and he witnessed both friends and foe dying in front of his ancestor's eyes. To some extent he was used to it but you could never get used to the death of a friend or loved one completely. No matter how much death you witnessed or served.

"Here, let me help." Abby said and she gripped the metal too though she was still careful of the leg ensnared in it. Eventually, with their strength combined, they were able to remove Shaun's leg and lay him to rest properly. "I'll give you some time alone."

Desmond shook his head and stood up with her.

"No it's okay," he said quietly. " I'm fine."

Abby nodded with complete empathy and didn't push it any further.

"You never know that could've been there before the Templars arrived." Abby said though she didn't really believe it. Templars could play as dirty if they put the effort in - which they often did. Assassins could play dirty too but most of the time they didn't have the upper hand or had enough resources or time to do the same.

"Maybe." Desmond said though he sounded like he didn't believe that either. "Which way do we go now?"

"Anywhere but here." Abby replied as she patted her pockets and realised that she had lost her map to the forest. She must have dropped it when following Desmond. It worried her to lose such a valuable piece of equipment but she took a breath and pushed that feeling away. It wouldn't do any good to worry about it now that it was lost.

Desmond paused for a moment before he turned and began to walk in the direction that seemed both random yet thought out. If where Abby was facing was north, then Desmond was walking north west. She followed him and she noticed him pause, tense then continue walking. He was declining the thought of looking back at his sleeping friend one last time. Both of them knew it would hurt more that way.

Eventually they found a stream and managed to fill their canteens and got a minute's rest before forcing themselves onwards once the paranoia of resting while in danger kicked in. That paranoia kicked in throughout the rest of the day until it was so black they could barely see each other let alone the ground.

Since making a fire was not the best idea, they resolved to sit silently in the darkness taking turns to stay alert while the other slept.

"I'll go first." Desmond said volunteering easily before Abby could do the same.

"Alright," Abby said laying down on the ground close to where she heard his voice coming from. "They're probably not going to come after us in this but obviously wake me if they do or when you get tired."

"Will do." Desmond said before everything was once again dipped into silence again. Even with the paranoia of the enemy and the extremely uncomfortable ground, Abby didn't find it took long to drift off to sleep.

**...**

Abby winced as the first few rays of sunlight filtered through her eyelids causing her to see peachy orange. Once she realised it was morning she shot up and looked at the empty space around her.

"Desmond?" she asked now standing up and looking around at the silent forest around her. No reply. At her feet was her pack but Abby noticed it was slightly less full than it was before. She opened it and found that half of the supplies had gone along with the torch and the small medical kit. Desmond had left her in the night and Abby didn't know whether to be angry or concerned. In the end she settled for both.

"Damn it Desmond why would you run off?" she asked herself as she walked through the mist back in the direction she thought they had come. Finding Desmond was hopeless but she wanted to go back to the stream to gain some sort of familiarity and landmark. Once there she would follow it for a little while until it became wider and flowed into flatter land. She remembered the stronghold was in the middle and now that became her target. Cross was definitely going to be there and she wanted him to die as much as she wanted to survive. She was going to have retribution and she was going to have it soon.

Everything went to plan until the barrel of a pistol appeared right in front of her eyes and forced her to stop.

**{****I****am****so****sorry****for****the****shortness****of****this****chapter****, ****I****just****have****so****many****exams****and****school****things****as****of****late****so****was****struggling****to****get****something****done****!**

**Remember****next****chapter****will****detail****everyone****else****in****the****character****list****that****isn****'****t****mentioned****in****other****chapters****. ****I****can****promise****that****will****be****a****long****one****so**** :****D****}**


	5. A True Fantasy (Chapter 5 Part I)

The Forest Chapter 5

**{Welcome to the first bonus chapter of the Forest. This is the chapter where you will see what's happening with the other, many, characters in this story. It will be longer than usual due to the amount of characters remaining.**

**...Reviews:D...**

**ROC95: Thank you :)**

**Kayce Skywalker: Thank you, of course I'm still writing it!**

**Serena and Abella: Welcome back, I'm glad you like it :D**

**...**

**Character list:**

**Altair Ibn****-****L'Ahad  
Malik Al-Sayf  
Kadar Al-Sayf  
Giovanni Auditore  
Mario Auditore  
Ezio Auditore  
La Volpe  
****Bartolomeo**** D'Alviano  
Caterina Sforza  
Desmond Miles  
Rebecca Crane  
****Shaun Hastings****  
Abby Freilich-Jones**

**Enjoy x}**

_Altair_

Altair was not keen on this place. It was too dark and the mist meant he often felt his feet catch on raised tree roots. He didn't fall but it irritated him to have to constantly watch where he placed his feet so he did not hurt them. He also felt uneasy at the fact someone had removed all of his weapons in the first place. It had been easy enough to replace them once he was confronted by a small group of novice crusaders but he still would have preferred to have weapons he was familiar with.

The only comfort he had was that he was the only person here in this forest that was not a Templar but he had only seen a woman and that had been all so far. Even then she had not looked pleased to see him, Altair mused that she had looked a little annoyed after he saved her from that arrogant and strangely dressed young man. She should have been thankful for his assistance. He didn't dwell on this for too long though as the sound of footsteps approaching snapped his mind out of thought.

"Peace Altair." A familiar voice said as he reached for a throwing knife. It was Kadar, Malik's younger brother.

"Kadar what are you doing here?" Altair asked since he would have thought Malik to be the most likely person to be here rather than him. Kadar was not highly ranked within the Order, this being reflected by the colour of his robes, so Altair thought it strange that someone like him was taken to this place rather than his more skilled brother.

"I do not know. I know only that I have seen no-one but you up until now. I am glad to see another person here." Kadar said with relief as Altair replaced his knife.

"There are Templars here too." Altair said, informing Kadar of the dangers of this place. "And I have seen a woman as well but I do not have any idea how many others there are."

"Templars? They were sent to this place too?" Kadar asked, now curious about the new information he was allowed to know. Usually, because of his low rank, he was not informed of much so any information was appreciated.

"So it seems though they are fully armed whereas we are not. For this reason they may not have been captured as we seem to have been rather they are the captors."

"We must be careful. Though with your weapons and extensive knowledge in combat we are safe." Kadar said, flattering Altair as per usual. Altair did not mind this but after a while it became fairly irritating. Usually Malik would scold his brother for doing this and make a remark as if to say Altair was not the best Assassin of the Guild so did not deserve such flattery. Altair begged to differ.

"For the most part yes. Even in this new environment." Altair said, with pride subtly audible in his voice while he switched momentarily to his Eagle Vision to see if that fared better through the mist. With only Kadar in the immediate area it was hard to say so Altair decided to switch it off since he would get better results when finding others.

"So what are we to do?" Kadar asked with a little excitement even under the circumstances. He had never been involved in anything this big before let alone allowed on a mission with his idol Altair.

"We must find a source of water if we are to remain alive." Altair said and pointed in front of them. "The land is sloping downwards, if there is any water present in the area it will be flowing downhill. A stream is at its largest downhill so we should travel in that direction if we are to find any."

_Kadar_

Kadar nodded, taking in this information like a sponge would water and so made the most of the opportunity to be with him. Following close behind Altair, he thought how his brother would be less impressed with Altair and might even offer a bitter remark towards the man. He didn't see why he should, the man was very wise and Kadar respected his every decision and, in turn, had occasionally fallen out with his older brother for exactly that reason. It didn't bother him though since they didn't hate each other for long. The brothers were close and not even Altair could undermine that.

When arriving at the base of the tree covered slope, they didn't see any water but that didn't deter them. With only a few minutes skirting around the hill, they came across a moderate stream flowing down the hill and onto the flat land. The only issue seemed to be that their water skins had been removed so they could only scoop their hands into the clear water to drink. It also meant that they would either need to return there or find another source in order to stay alive and hydrated. It didn't look like Altair but they didn't have a choice. They either risked travelling away from the area and not finding another source of water or remaining and risk being found by Templars.

"What do we do?" Kadar asked him and there was a moment of deliberation before Altair made his decision.

"We move on, we cannot risk being found." Altair said and Kadar nodded though he bent down for one last drink before he did. He did not know how long it would be before he drank again.

_La Volpe_

"Hmmm... I would have thought something would have happened by now." he pondered to himself. He had never had a dream that was so... empty. Nothing had happened, he was just standing in a very misty forest alone. Usually his dreams were filled with many places, events and people both strangers and familiar faces but now there was nothing.

"_Aiuto! _**(Help!)**" Came a cry not to far away. Immediately La Volpe began to run in that direction, this was the first event to happen in this place. As uneven as the ground was, he was able to run perfectly fine. He was used to running on all terrain in many pressurised situations.

_At last. I was beginning to think that this dream would be empty._

It took him a few minutes but he soon managed to reach where he had thought the area from which the scream had occurred. There seemed to be no-one there or in the area as he twisted in every direction.

Then he looked up.

A sea of red hair floated above him, strands of which tickled his nose as he looked up at it. He quickly jumped away from the source to both get away from the situation and see what it was. A pair of horrified staring eyes looked at him. His own eyes widened in horror as he looked at the rest of the upside down body.

"Oh no..." he said, his voice full of sorrow, slight grievance and fear. The more he looked her still body the more scared he got. He tried to swallow it down, the man _never_ got scared of death since he ran away from it every day, but the lump is his throat and the hysteria in his mind had gotten worse. "_Ducessa_ what have they done to you."

Upon glancing up at her body in more detail, he became even more disturbed. Dried blood made trails down her cold, lifeless face, some entering her mouth and eyes, others flowing to her head where it forced clumps of her flaming hair together into bloodied tangles. Her whole face looked as if he was watching a group of rivers that flowed and joined randomly with others across the bare landscape. After forcing his eyes away from her haunting, unliving face, he saw a knife lodged in the woman's torso. That was the blood's source. As his eyes drifted further up, he was grateful that the hem of her regal dress was caught in the spiked snare around her ankles, it protected what was left of her dignity.

He wondered why the trap was here but also why it had to be Caterina. This was his dream after all yet he did not understand any of it. Yet the idea of comprehension also caused him to wonder once more. In no other dream had he been able to think or analyse like he was now - that usually came after.

_Maybe this is not a dream at all._

That sceptic thought came to mind with ease and it seemed the most logical reason yet La Volpe had no real proof to determine either theory. Nor had he the time.

"_Là-bas! Obtenez le salaud d'assassin!_ **(There! Get the Assassin bastard!)**"

The clank of heavy armour snapped La Volpe out of his thoughtful state and allowed him to use his nimble feet to escape the slow-footed chasers.

Although having a head start, La Volpe still remained in their eyesight and he heard constant, and some out of breath, shouts in French to alert others. He couldn't understand what they were saying but he made a logical guess and assumed them to be calling for reinforcements.

As La Volpe ran, he scanned the trees for any that seemed remotely climbable or that had any footholds low enough for him to grab onto from ground level. So far there were none but he did not give up hope. Just a few seconds later, however, he was skidding to a halt to avoid being skewered at the end of a brute's sword. He hated brutes since their strong armour prevented a lot of damage and increased their strength but this group of brutes was unlike any he had seen before.

Their proud posture and beefiness were expected and present in them but that was where the similarities ended between the Borgia brutes and these. The Borgia's mutts strutted around with brutally heavy weapons and lavish, decorated armour, whereas these soldiers carried lighter swords and their armour lacked lavishness and decoration - it was not made for show. Continuing with the plainer theme, their helmets were less extravagant in design and were more barrell-like in shape. Under their armour they wore plain clothes and over it they wore a simple white tunic emblazoned with the blood red Templar cross.

"Reveni ici! (Come back here!)" One called as he continued to run and dodge trees and roots. His feet easily escaped the ensnaring ropes that covered the ground.

Suddenly La Volpe felt pain flare up as he felt his nose crunch and his vision clouded. A forgotten soldier had appeared almost in front of him and aimed the flat of their weapon at his face.

Any misconceptions about this being a dream were soon wiped from his mind and replaced by thoughts of pain and survival.

Even being unable to see because of the pain in his eyes and nose, La Volpe rolled away from the slicing blade that now embedded into the ground his head had recently vacated. He twisted and sprung to his feet, opening his now swelling eyes. His vision was still blurred but he could still see the guards laughing at his resilience.

In his thoughts his scolded himself for being ignorant and allowing that to happen to him. He also thought about his odds fighting them now and knew that his odds of surviving were not ones he'd place a bet on. He knew he would have to do what he did best, run and hide.

Before the guards could so much as swing at him, he set off though had to be more careful. Though the guards may be slow, his vision was now disadvantaged and so he would have to be cautious rather than speedy and that gave them the advantage. Not to mention the fact that blood was pouring down his face from his broken nose.

As he ran, dodged and jumped, he tried to find anywhere that was suitable as a hiding spot. His desperate eyes looked around and managed to spot a clump of ferns coming up on his left hand side. They looked like the perfect place to hide if only he could get there, however the guards were too close to be lost.

"_Ehi voi bastardi francesi, succhiare le mie_ _palle!_**(Hey you French bastards, suck my balls!)**" came a gruff shout that echoed around the trees.

**{Like you don't know who that foul mouthed character is! ;)  
**

**I'm going to stop it there, this bonus chapter will be split in two. That's because I haven't updated in a while.**

**Hope you enjoyed x}**


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